Once I was a big D, but then along came the big C ... humor, health, healing and how life goes on.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

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About this blog

By Carol Jamison

Carol is a 22 year resident of Concord, She spent the last year in recovery from breast cancer, and was surprised to find a lot of humor along the way, along with family support, community support, and the support of great friends and wonderful
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Carol is a 22 year resident of Concord, She spent the last year in recovery from breast cancer, and was surprised to find a lot of humor along the way, along with family support, community support, and the support of great friends and wonderful doctors. She was also surprised to find that life goes on no matter what. Kids get licenses and have accidents, holidays are celebrated, and family continues to be the heart of life. She also learned that she could write funny about cancer, calamity, pets, family, and life in general. Her blog will be a continuation of that writing, and she hopes you will get a chuckle or two, or even more, along with her belief that nothing can or should stop one from living life as fully as possible.

Planes, trains, and automobiles, yes, really, all three, factored into my travels home this week.I left out the boat, although I heard all about them from a fellow passenger during the train portion of my travels.So, maybe I didn’t leave out the boat after all.Following an excellent conference in Las Vegas, during which I got to meet many of my clients in person, and take them out for meals, yesterday morning, Friday the 13th, it was time to go home.I was ready.

My flight was at 6:00 am on Friday the 13th.I got up at 3:00 am on Friday the 13th, and went to hop in the shower.Turns out the Mirage has some plumbing problems.I turned on the shower, and got air.No water.Just air.The sink worked.Only the cold water.So, following a cold water hair wash and wash up, I departed for home, on Friday the 13th.The non-shower was just the start of it….

First flight, no problems.Then came Dulles.A 3 ˝ hour layover, followed by a delay, followed by boarding, followed by 3 hours waiting on the tarmac, followed by a return to the gate for fuel, followed by the cancellation of our United flight. I stood in a two hour rebooking line with all of the other disgruntled and upset flyers. A lovely way to spend a Friday evening.Um hum.Believe that? United rebooked me for Sunday night.Oh yes, it truly was Friday the 13th.

I called my company’s travel service, oh thank goodness for my company’s travel service!They have a special number to help stranded travelers.I think I qualified.No flights available.I was booked into a hotel for a night.I was given the number for Amtrak.I made a train reservation for 3:15 am.

Off to the hotel, for some cleanup, food and a couple of hours of sleep.I must say the Dulles Airport Hyatt is a nice hotel.A lovely salad, a couple of hours of sleep, and a 1:45 am wakeup call had me ready for my 2:00 am cab to the Amtrak station.The cab was late, very late.My train ride home was in jeopardy.My cabby put the pedal to the metal, and we flew, sometimes, almost literally, to the train station…one of the more “exciting” cab rides of my life, but I made the train!It was Saturday the 14th!

Seven hours later, my husband met me at the train station, following an uneventful and absolutely beautiful ride along the coastline from DC to Boston. The very nice Amtrak policeman grabbed my wheelie and computer bag and accompanied me to meet my husband.I think he might have been afraid I would keel over. I think I looked tired.Cannot imagine why!? It was only a 29 hour trip!I am so very glad to be home!